Roma

I got used original Sidepipes but the covers needs rechroming.



I unscrewed the compositeisolation and try to remove the 3 metalparts.
One was easy to remove


but the one in the middle and at the end is not removable.
Im afraid to pull to hard, because it feels like the isolation will break

Any ideas how to seperate without destroying ?

Thanks

Frank

dannyman

Difficult to see clearly in the picture, but it looks like a "drill and tap" to me.

garage-ghost

The last set I took apart, came apart easily after removing the screws.
Make sure the people who are doing the re-chrome know that those covers are made of pot metal, that will dissolve, if they try to chemically strip the old chrome. Mine were ruined in the chemical strip process.Good luck

CA-Legal-Vette

The metal parts should certainly come away from the insulators. Just make CERTAIN that you got all of the screws and rivets. You could probably replace the metal parts for less that rechroming but obviously that's your choice. Wreck the insulators though and you've got a real problem.

68/70Vette

The side pipe covers are, to my understanding, not pot metal but an aluminum alloy. For instance, the left and right front grills of the 70, 71, etc are this same alloy.

Hydrochloric acid, I believe, is a common chemical used to strip chromium. It can also be stripped electrolytically. Since hydrochloric acid will eat aluminum vigorously, it can't be dipped. Interestingly, the nickel plate underneath the chromium plate cannot be removed with hydrochloric acid, it has to be electrolytically removed.

Getting your old covers stripped is just part of the battle. You have to find someone that can chrome plate aluminum. You have to strip to bare aluminum, polish, and then anodyze with an electrically conducting anodyze. Then you're pretty much home free with the traditional nickle and chrome plating process.

A new set of factory covers (repro'd with original tools and processes) can be bought for about $2200. I think now you can buy just the end pieces new to save a little money. Since the middle piece is pretty much black, just paint it black completely.

I have the factory sidepipes on my 68.

Roma

Rivets I only removed 11 small crews per side.

Do I have to ? Which ? All ?

Thanks a lot

CA-Legal-Vette

It's the thin, stand off brackets at the back that I was referring to and I see from the pic that you've already removed those. Sorry if I scared you. The rivets on the front bracket don't go all the way through.

Vinnievega

I've gone a similar route, But I'm thinking about painting mine with ALSA's chrome kit, I hear its 98% reflective, and actually used to touch up real chrome.

Roma

If you look at the second picture there is a small spot of glue visible. Did they use a bit glue to fix the 3 Covers on the Insulation ?

AJC 69 BB

Make sure you have taken all of the screws out of the covers where they are secured to the insulators. The factory used some type of silicone adhesive between the covers and the insulators. Be very careful and just use a small screw driver and pry the 2 pieces apart. That is what i have done to several sets that have worked on.

Roma

Thanks, it was a hard fight between the cover and me, but I won

Nothing broken, everything in good shape, including my fingernails

It was glued on 3 additional positions, but a consistent pulling and some sh..t screams, helped
Here is the result

Vinnievega

Do you have any idea how much the refinishing process is going to cost?

Roma

I have an offer here in Germany for about 200 USD per side. But I think when he has the parts in hand it will be a bit more.

Vinnievega

The only other set I've read about being redone ended up costing something like $1200, so $400 would be one hell of a deal lol.

0Corvettes by George

Have one piece polished and then decide if you want to have them re chromed.
You might be surprised at nice they look polished.
G.

Roma

If you only polish them, how to prevent oxidation ?

68/70Vette

Does your man know you're wanting aluminum (aka aluminium) chrome plated?

So far the front left and right grills of my 70 are polished aluminum. The man that does my plating, electrolytically removed the chrome and nickel from the original pieces. They were corroded. The polished aluminum, about 5 years out, still looks OK, but they've never been in the weather. I think some people here have spoke favorable about Zaino. Apparently it provides protection for polished aluminum.

I keep my chrome plated, polished aluminum, etc surfaces coated with WD40. Seems to work pretty good. I clean the surfaces with Windex (window cleaner) and then spray WD40 on a paper towel and coat the surfaces. I haven't tried Zaino yet, it costs about $100 or something like that. Maybe other forum members are familiar with Zaino.

Roma

I will give them
http://www.mov-designtec.de/index.ph...=82&Itemid=111
a try.
The text is in German but the pics should speek for them self. They are well known at the german Corvetteforum and also have expirience with aluminium.

And thanks all for your help

Best Regards
Frank

68/70Vette

Thanks. Don't know German, but i still could read a little bit of the text. I'll write down some of the sentences and later use Google translate.

I was amused that in today's German, the english word "oldtimer" appears.

In restoring this car, was chrome vacuum deposition used to restore some of the parts? Chrome vacuum deposition is used to chrome plate plastic parts. I've had the thought of chrome plating my aluminum grill pieces using the vacuum deposition process.

Jughead

You can always patch the insulators if needed with fiberglass cloth.